Flashy quarterback Ryan Perrilloux of Reserve, La., reneged on his longstanding commitment to the University of Texas and signed a national letter of intent to play for Miles at LSU on Wednesday, saying "staying home was the best thing for me and my family."

But just a few days ago, he had said: "Texas is my spot. That's where I'm going."

A jilted Brown insisted, "I have no disappointment," and then recounted something Lou Holtz once told him.

"If we play against the team (a player who changes his mind) goes to four times and he starts and he plays every play," Brown said, "we'll see him for four days the rest of our lives. The ones that come, we'll see for 365 days for five years, so we better worry about the ones that come instead of the ones that didn't.

"Things have a way of working out, and guys go to the places that they need to go to for whatever reason. That's their right to do that. At Texas, we're just more visible than most places. In seven years, we've had very few people tell us they were coming and then change their mind. When it does happen here, everybody acts like it's a tragedy. (But) it happens every day all over the country."

Perrilloux, USA Today's No. 1 player in the country, completed 225 of 342 passes for 3,546 yards and 30 touchdowns while running for 1,460 yards and 37 touchdowns for East St. John High School last season. The 6-2, 210-pounder is second in Louisiana high school history in total offense with 12,715 yards and fourth in passing yards with 9,025.

Word is Miles will give him every chance to win the starting job after JaMarcus Russell endured a hot-cold redshirt freshman season splitting time with Marcus Randall.

But at Texas, junior-to-be Vince Young couldn't be more entrenched after his huge Rose Bowl performance.

"LSU is the perfect school for me," said Perrilloux, who clearly counts unbridled confidence among his assets. "I can come in and play next year. JaMarcus struggled last year, and Matt Flynn is definitely not a better quarterback than me. It's just a perfect opportunity.

"I'm a Louisiana guy and the No. 1 player in the state. Louisiana people love their players."

His not-unexpected change of heart capped a highly successful class by the Tigers despite the recent coaching change. They had great quality but not quantity to match Nebraska, Tennessee, Iowa, USC, Oklahoma and Michigan in the upper echelon of the national recruiting standings.

Although opinions are split on whether the Cornhuskers, Trojans or Volunteers won the 2005 "championship," all the aforementioned reeled in multiple diamonds in the rough.

Nebraska's haul gives credence to the notion that out of adversity springs opportunity.

By Big Red standards, coach Bill Callahan's first year in Lincoln was an unmitigated disaster. The Huskers' string of 43 consecutive winning seasons and 36 bowls in a row both came ended, and Texas Tech and Oklahoma routed his team by a combined score of 100-13.

But Callahan found 31 men who were eager to help him restore 5-6 Nebraska's bruised reputation. It was definitely his lucky day.

"I'd like to believe we made all the right moves to improve our program," Callahan said. "We can get better, and we will get better. This class provides that impetus. They will contribute in every way to help get this program where it needs to be."

Perhaps Callahan's NFL pedigree remained a compelling magnet despite his difficulties making the transition to college in 2004. His first recruiting class had barely cracked the national top 25.

"Seldom do you see a team make such a dramatic jump the way Nebraska has done," said recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of ESPN.com. "It'll be an entirely new team with the addition of up to 30 players."

Reigning national champion USC figures to remain a contender in 2005 after reeling in four of USA Today's top 36 picks, although the Trojans lost running back Jason Gwaltney of North Babylon, N.Y., to West Virginia.

But USC found solace in a strong group headed by quarterback Mark Sanchez of Mission Viejo, Calif., and 6-4 receiver Patrick Turner of Nashville, Tenn.

Though Tennessee lost two home-state Turners, the Vols sufficiently compensated with tailback LaMarcus Coker, the state's best running back, and North Carolina's best quarterback in Jonathan Crompton, plus the likes of Grapevine defensive end Henry Melton, defensive back Demetrice Morley of Miami and linebacker Rico McCoy from Washington, D.C.

Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer could promise a stable program. He's already the dean of SEC coaches, and he recently got a raise to $2.05 million per year and an extension through 2011.

Nebraska and Tennessee landed the most Top 100 prospects with, according to one count, seven apiece.